We saw fireworks last night so we didn't really do anything today. L went to a party, K & I watched some Ghost Whisperer, J played on the PS2. We're so exciting.

The 3rd Canadian Book Challenge started today. I'm doing it again (of course) but I'm going without a theme this time (and using my real name!).

The fireworks on the beach were as lovely as always. It was cold but the rain held off until it was almost over. We got pretty wet gathering up our stuff but it wasn't a big deal.

And I made it there and back by myself! K was a bit freaked out when we took a detour through some side streets because she thought we were going to end up hopelessly lost. I wasn't worried though; the town's not that big.

But the best news of all is that I managed to get all of my reviews finished for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge. The girls cheered when I told them I was done.

L saw Transformers 2 tonight. She said it was funny and she liked it.

K is amusing when she's punchy.

J has hardly been home.

Trying to finish up the last reviews for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge has fried my brain.

After an extended break for school projects and exams, L & I are back to watching Six Feet Under. What amazes me about that show is how much stuff happened in the first season that I thought happened much much later.

Three more reviews to write for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge. Not sure I'll get them done for Tuesday but I'm going to try.

Today, Ice and I went to a writers festival in a nearby town. Five authors were there to read from and sign their books: Mary Swan, Anne Michaels, Alan Cumyn, Suzanne Evans, and Tilda Shalof. All of the authors were interesting, four of them were funny, one was very serious.

It was pretty clear that most of the audience was there to see Anne Michaels. I haven't read any of her books yet (not even Fugitive Pieces) so I was most looking forward to seeing Mary Swan, whose book, The Boys in the Trees, I absolutely loved. She was great to talk to, very friendly, and she gave a detailed answer to the question I asked.

It was an interesting afternoon and I will definitely attend that event again.

We took Abby and Stevie to the vet today for their annual checkups. I intentionally made the appointment for a Friday afternoon when Ice was home because the cat HATES to be put into any sort of carrier for the ride in the van. Today was no different. She fought like crazy and peed and the cardboard carrier was ruined and broken and ugh. Anyway, it's done. They got their shots and they're both healthy and we don't have to do it again for another year.

This was a hard week for J since both of his sisters have been done school since Monday noon-ish. He made it through though and now we can all stay up late and sleep in.

Speaking of staying up late, K was determined to stay up later than me at least once this week. So last night when I said I was going to bed, she announced that she was going to read for just a little bit longer. She admitted today that it was kinda scary to be down here alone but she did it and she's happy.

I went driving with L today for the first time. We took K to a volunteer gig in a neighbouring town, then spent some time practicing corners. She also got some experience driving on gravel when I miscalculated just how few corners there were in that town. She's doing better than she thinks she is.

Speaking of volunteering, K has finished the community hours that are required to graduate in Ontario. In fact, she's finished them almost twice over and she's just going into grade 10.

And finally, J baked an Amish Cinnamon Friendship Loaf tonight. Two, actually. He was given the starter at school (or maybe it was on a field trip, can't remember) and he's been carefully feeding and "mushing" it for the last ten days. It was yummy.